The corners of Talley’s mouth twitched. “Yes, he tried to kiss me.”
“And you didn’t want him to?”
“No, I didn’t. Which I told him in no uncertain terms.”
I felt like I knew where this was heading. “And Jase…?”
“Jase thought the point needed to be emphasized with his fist.”
Of course he did. “And then you both got fired.”
“No, he told me that I was going to have to apologize, or he would fire me. I told him that Hell would freeze over before I apologized, and then I quit.”
Angel’s eyes were the size of saucers. “You said a cuss word to your boss?”
“What about you?” I asked Talley. “Surely he didn’t fire you because you wouldn’t kiss and Jase punched him. That would be a sexual harassment and wrongful termination suit all tied up together with a great big money-colored bow.”
“Jase needed some ice for his hand,” she gave in way of an explanation.
“And…?”
Now it was Jase’s turn to fight the smile threatening to break across his face. “He said if she followed me out, then he would accept that as her resignation.”
“And she followed you anyway?”
“Jase needed ice,” she said again.
“Sorry, Tal, but I’m with Jase on this one. You both quit.” I pointed a finger at Angel. “And that is the only story that our parents will hear, do you understand?”
“Talley and Jase quit their job because their boss was bad. Got it.”
Of course, that wasn’t exactly what she told our parents, which led to a rather embarrassing conversation between my mom and Talley about not allowing men to take advantage of you, but she did manage to skip the part about Jase punching the guy in the nose. The part about him saying a cuss word, however, was the lead-in.
Both Jase and Talley had new jobs by the end of the week. Jase was hired by the 4-H camp to teach four basketball classes a day during the week, and Talley took a part-time job at the local Piggly-Wiggly. It turned out to be the best thing for both of them. Jase found he really liked coaching, and Talley was forced to talk to her mother at least once a week. By the time the next full moon rolled around, Mrs. Matthews was begging Talley to move back home, but Talley said she would rather stay with her Pack.
I found myself eagerly awaiting the return of the full moon. I knew it was mentally unhealthy. I knew I was setting myself up for disappointment. I knew he wasn’t supposed to be real, but still I was anxious to see if the gray wolf whose scent I swore I ran across occasionally on my jaunts in the woods would show up again.
Interestingly, the lure of seeing the wolf who didn’t exist wasn’t the only reason I longed for the full moon. I realized I hated the way my new senses weakened as the moon waned, although they never disappeared all together. I was still able to hear everything going on in the house and knew who was in the shower by the smell floating in the steam under the bathroom door. Of course, the strengthening of the wolf had some issues all its own.
“Dear God, will I always be this hot?” I asked, positioning myself above the air conditioning vent in Jase’s room. I had just got out of an ice cold shower, was wearing nothing more than my boy cut bikini bottoms and a tank top, and was walking around with wet hair in a house whose thermostat I had moved down to sixty-five degrees, but I was still on the verge of a heat stroke.
“No, one day your face will wrinkle, your boobs will sag, and your hair will grow thin. But don’t worry. I’ll still love you anyway.”
I glared at my brother. “Not what I meant.”
“Were you wanting me to point out that you may think way too highly of yourself?”
“I was wanting you to assure me I’m not going to spontaneously combust.” I made a tent out of my tank top so I could capture all the cool air. “How do you deal with this every month?”
I knew Charlie was coming up the stairs. I knew the moment he turned onto our road five minutes ago, but I still jumped when he opened the door. It seemed like I was never quite ready to deal with Charlie.
“I didn’t realize this was a clothing-optional meeting,” he said, risking one disgusted glance in my direction before flopping down on Jase’s bed. “Seriously, Scout, would it kill you to put some clothes on?” he asked the ceiling.
“It might. I feel like I’m melting.” And the blood pooling on the surface of my skin certainly wasn’t helping the situation any.
“It’s a low-grade fever. We all get one right before a full moon. You’ll get used to it.”
I didn’t bother explaining how I ran more than a low grade fever for thirty days straight and knew that this was something different. Charlie would only think I was whining and begging for attention.
“I’m going to go find Talley.” And some clothes.
Of course, that’s when Talley opened the door connecting my bedroom to the bathroom that separated mine and Jase’s rooms. “I’ll be there in thirty seconds. I’m looking for a pen.”
“I’ll come—”
“Nevermind, here’s one!”
Or maybe I’ll just sit here feeling overwhelmingly naked and embarrassed.
Talley bound into the room, a pad of paper and pen in hand. “Okay, I’m ready to take minutes.”
“Pack meetings have minutes?” I certainly didn’t remember anyone jotting stuff down at the last Pack meeting I attended, but I had been a little distracted with the whole getting kicked out part.
“They should,” said my super-organized best friend. “Are you okay? You look very… red.”
“I’m hot.”
“Obviously. I would kill for your legs. And waist. And boobs.” She examined her own chest, which wasn’t so much flat as not curvy. “Maybe I could get Ashley’s plastic surgeon to give me your boobs. Would you go with me to the office so that he’ll know exactly what I want?”
She was spending way too much time with Jase.
“I meant, I feel like it’s a a hundred and fifty degrees in here, smarty pants.”
I’m not a complete moron - I had an acceptance letter to William and Mary hanging on my wall - but I sometimes miss simple, common-sense things. Thankfully, that is Talley’s area of expertise. “Well, I guess summer in Kentucky would feel rather warm to a species designed for sub-zero temperatures.”
Jase’s face scrunched up in concentration. “You mean because she turns into one of those snow wolves, right?”
At least I wasn’t the only one a step or two behind the curve.
“Coyotes are native to Kentucky. Arctic wolves, not so much.” The frown on her face would have looked patronizing if anyone else attempted it. “Poor Scout. Do you want me to go get you an ice pack or something?”
“Nah, I’m cool.” I held up my hand. “Don’t want hear it, no matter how witty it is.” Jase’s promptly shut his mouth.
“Are you calling the meeting to order?” Talley asked, pen poised.
“Do I need to?”
Talley nodded enthusiastically.
I looked around for something to used as a gavel and settled on one of Jase’s basketball trophies. “I hereby call the meeting of the Donovan-Hagan-Matthews Pack to order,” I said, banging the trophy on the floor. “Does that work?”
“I think we need to shorten the name of the Pack.”
This was the reason we quit doing school projects together in the sixth grade.
“The name stands. You can refer to it as DHM if you want.” I took a deep breath, giving her plenty of time to declare that we needed a logo or mascot. When she didn’t, I continued. “Tomorrow night is our first full moon together as a Pack.” And only my second full moon as a Shifter. “We’re going to run an exercise tomorrow to ensure that we can work together as a team to accomplish a goal.”
“Like not accidentally stepping over an invisible line?” Charlie asked.
“That’s part of Talley’s job. She’s been studying maps for weeks now and thinks she can keep us wrangled into the acce
pted boundaries. Right, Tal?”
“I think so.” She sound less certain than I would have liked, but I trusted her.
“She’s also going to guide us to the same spot. We’re starting off at different points.” I handed out maps I printed off the computer. “Jase, you’re going to Change on the north end of the county. Charlie, the south. I’m changing on the far eastern boarder. As soon as Talley senses we’ve all completed the Change, she’s going to pick a fourth location from a hat and guide us all there.”
“That’s it?” Jase looked less than impressed. “We go on a scavenger hunt for one another? That’s our big exercise for the night?”
“No, that’s our communications lesson. Then we have our physical training.”
“Which is?”
My mind conjured up an image of snowflakes dancing around a beautiful boy eagerly sharing his love of the hunt. “Then we take down a deer.”
Chapter 13
I lay crouched on the ground, my clothes tucked away in the backpack I hid nearby. Being naked in the middle of the woods wasn’t exactly my idea of awesome, but I couldn’t really afford to lose an outfit a month.
I can’t do this.
They said it would be easier this time, less painful. When I was climbing out of Charlie’s mammoth truck he grabbed my arm, the first non-training physical contact we’d had in forever. “Just relax out there, okay? Try to initiate the Change yourself instead of waiting for it to happen. Your body will respond better.”
I tried. Really, I did. I crouched down and thought about my muscles stretching and shifting, my bones reorganizing themselves. I thought about the hundreds of thousands of hairs poking through my skin. Unfortunately, I also thought about all the pain that came with those things and couldn’t do it. I knew it would actually kill me this time.
The first convulsion ripped through my body as the last light of day disappeared from the sky. It hurt just as much as I remembered. I stayed conscious the entire time and only threw up from the pain once.
As soon as the Change was complete, I headed for the hamburgers I stashed by my backpack. The food was Talley’s idea. According to her, the animal wouldn’t be quiet enough for Human Scout to be heard until some of the calories incinerated during the Change were replaced. She theorized that having a vast amount of food ready to eat immediately post-Change would give us a huge advantage. Since I didn’t want a Thumper repeat, I was willing to give it a shot.
Of course, Wolf Scout didn’t agree. She ate the burgers because she was hungry, but she regretted the lack of fresh meat. She missed the hunt.
She seriously freaked me out.
“How are you doing?” the voice in my head asked. I tried to find traces of the Talley I knew in that voice, but there was none. This voice was deep and rich for a woman, very femme fatale. Talley’s normal voice had more of a Hannah Montana flavor.
I didn’t pass out.
“That’s an improvement.”
If you say so. Are the boys ready?
“Jase is finishing up. It will take Charlie a few more minutes.”
Something tickled in the back of my brain and I had to really concentrate to process it. I thought you said Jase’s Change was fast.
“It is. You completed yours in less than fifteen minutes.” It felt more like fifteen years. “You’re a natural.”
You do realize that irony is difficult for me to fully appreciate in this form, right?
A sultry laugh echoed in my head. “I didn’t even catch that. Your reasoning is amazing.”
So, what should I do while I wait? Work a crossword puzzle?
“What do you feel like doing?”
I thought about it. My muscles were twitching, but not in a we’ve-got-to-rearrange-and-make-you-into-a-monster kind of way. It was more like a need for action.
I want to run.
“That’s what I thought. See if you can figure out west on your own and go. You will have to pass through town or cross the Interstate to go over the border, so you should be okay.”
Needing no more encouragement, I was gone. I’ve never been a runner by nature. My general philosophy was, why run if you’re not being chased? Wolf Scout felt differently.
As I ran, I let her take over. She loved the way the tall grass tickled her underbelly. She chased squirrels and groundhogs. She splashed in a creek, enjoying the taste of the cool water. She followed one trail and then another until finally…
Wolf. Him. Mine.
I was off, careful not to lose the scent.
“Scout, the others are ready. I’m going to need to you head north.”
North was the wrong direction. I chased my prey south.
“Scout, do you hear me.”
Hear you? Yes. Listening to you? Not so much.
“The Pack is converging at the old Spicer Mill.”
The Pack could kiss my furry white tail. I closed my mind off from well-meaning interlopers and chased after the gray wolf. It wasn’t long before I caught up with him. I was close enough to hear him as he padded nearly silently around a pond just over the hill. I howled out a greeting and waited expectantly for his reply. It never came. Instead, I heard him move away.
Crap. Where was he going?
I pursued him in a way my human form would have never dared. It took Alex months to convince me we should be together, and that was with him being fairly up-front about his feelings. If he had even considered playing hard to get we would have never happened. But my wolf didn’t have the same insecurities as a teenage girl. She knew what she wanted, and she was determined to get it.
He was fast, but so was I. I caught flashes of fur through the bushes and glances of a tail or hind leg on occasion. Those moments just made me run harder.
I paid no attention to my surroundings or the direction we were heading. It wasn’t until I picked up the scent of another Shifter I even considered it might be a valid concern. I skidded to a stop and looked around, heart pounding. Had I crossed the boundary? Was the Hagan Pack waiting for me? I was very close to panicking when a howl cut through the air.
Jase!
Suddenly it all came crashing in on me. I had just completely abandoned my Pack to follow a ghost through the woods.
I trotted off towards the direction Jase’s howl came from, sending up a reply of my own.
Reluctantly, I opened myself back up to my Seer. I made it.
“What the Hades were you doing? You shut me out!”
Sorry.
“Sorry? I thought you were Changing back or dead or God only knows what!”
Sorry.
I was really glad I couldn’t see her face at the moment, because I was certain it was saying volumes in the silence.
I crested the hill and spotted Jase. Over the past month things had gotten better between us. There was still some tension, a change in the relationship that couldn’t be undone, but he was my brother. I knew he hadn’t hurt me intentionally. I would never forget what happened, but we were working on being okay again.
Wolf Scout hadn’t been a part of that process.
I crouched down, protecting my soft underbelly. A growl reverberated in my throat. I wanted the coyote to go away, somewhere where he could never hurt me again. Coyote Jase proved to be remarkably similar to Human Jase by not doing what I wanted. Instead, he walked up to where he was in striking distance and rolled onto the ground, exposing his underside to me. Both parts of my brain recognized the act as one of submission.
Slowly I got up and went over to him. He watched warily, unsure of what I would do. I might have been a little unsure myself, but when I pressed my nose against his throat and breathed him in there was no fear or malice in my mind, only the comfort of family.
Tell Jase he looks mildly ridiculous with a spot of mustard on his nose.
Talley must have relayed the message, because Jase flipped over and and began pawing at his nose. I laughed, or as close as I could get to laughing in my current condition.
“Jase says y
ou sound like you’re trying to hack up a hairball. Also, he is very adamant about the fact that you’re not half as funny as you think you are.”
You really should see it, Tal. He’s got a yellow stain on the fur of his snout. It’s kinda cute.
“I’m sure it’s adorable.”
We horsed around for a while, Talley eventually refusing to pass along any messages. We were rolling along the ground when he first noticed the scars which covered much more of my wolf form than my human one. He licked the spot on my right side where they ended, a whine in his throat. It was the first time he saw the damage since the night of the accident.
“What is going on? Jase is really upset.”
We’re fine. We’re going to be fine.
And I knew we were. It was the other coyote I could hear approaching that I was concerned about.
Murderer.
The human, rationale part of me was quickly drowned out by the emotions seeing him dredged up.
“Scout, stop! It’s Charlie! It’s just Charlie!”
I don’t know where Jase went. At that moment the world was narrowed down to me and the coyote who killed Alex.
“Scout—”
I snapped the connection.
There was no planning or finesse in my attack. I ran straight at him, no thought other than revenge. We collided in a chorus of snarls and limbs. We rolled along the ground and came to a halt with me on top of his prone body. I set my sights on the kill spot in his neck and was about to lunge when he moved, raising his head so that I could have better access.
I darted away and backed up against a tree. My entire body was shaking, and I knew that if I was in my human form I would have tears streaming down my face. Charlie slowly lifted himself off the ground and started towards me. I tried to move away, but I was bound by the tree and Jase, who had moved up beside me. Like Jase had done before, Charlie stopped just in front of me and laid down in a posture of complete submission. I repeated my display of acceptance, though this time there was no sense things would work themselves out somehow.
Time Mends Page 10
